If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Apple will be pretty pleased by Samsung’s YP-T9.

The slimline design of this new mp3 player bears obvious similarities to Apple’s iPod Nano – even the packaging follows the simple fold-out design used by Apple. Samsung’s Media Studio software also takes its lead from iTunes, complete with its own online music store.

The YP-T9 lacks the minimalist elegance of the Nano. It’s festooned with a series of buttons rather than the iPod’s simple scroll-wheel control system. However, it does boast a few extra features that the Nano lacks.

The YP-T9’s key feature is its Bluetooth capability, which allows you to do away with cables and listen to your music on wireless Bluetooth headsets. It can also play video – something that the iPod Nano can’t do – and has a built-in FM radio tuner as well.

The 1.8in screen only has a 176x144 resolution, but image quality is surprisingly good – very bright and detailed. The Media Studio software works well here; just right-click on a video file in the Media Studio library list and you can automatically convert it into a format suitable for the YP-T9 and then download it onto the player.

The Bluetooth features push the price up a bit, though. The YP-T9 costs £89 for a 1GB model, £119 for 2GB, and £149 for 4GB, which is £20 more expensive than a comparable iPod Nano.

You’ll also have to cough up extra for the Bluetooth headset, as the YP-T9 only includes an ordinary set of wired headphones. However, if you don’t need the Bluetooth features then there’s a non-Bluetooth model called the K3, which is £30 cheaper (making it £10 cheaper than a comparable iPod Nano).

The YP-T9 can’t match the iPod’s elegant design, but it works well and its extra features arguably make it better value for money than its Apple rival.

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